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What is the most challenging part of being a clinical psychologist?
I’m a 9th grader and I’m currently researching clinical psychology as a career #psychology #clinical-psychology
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Manda’s Answer
Disclaimer: I am not a clinical psychologist. I just completed a college course called Introduction to Clinical Interviewing, and in my final reflection paper, I wrote a few things that I personally would find challenging in this career field. This is just my opinion, though; it would definitely be helpful to talk to actual psychologists to see what they find most stressful day-to-day. Here is what I wrote:
The main reasons I am not planning to become a professional psychologist are the time and financial commitment (and thus, incredible debt) of graduate school, coupled with the stress I would feel from adhering to professional standards while listening to other people's problems all day. I am a deeply empathetic person, and I know it would be difficult for me to remain cool and detached when hearing clients' painful and sometimes disturbing experiences. I would also be concerned about my own safety with violent clients, and it would take a major toll on my own mental health to work with aggressive, hostile, or severely disturbed clients. In addition to these, there are ethical and legal considerations, such as the responsibility to report suicidality. Now that I have a better idea of the stressors professional therapists face every day, I know that such a career is not a great fit for my own personality, but I also have renewed respect for good therapists who consistently apply best practices while maintaining their own mental health.
The main reasons I am not planning to become a professional psychologist are the time and financial commitment (and thus, incredible debt) of graduate school, coupled with the stress I would feel from adhering to professional standards while listening to other people's problems all day. I am a deeply empathetic person, and I know it would be difficult for me to remain cool and detached when hearing clients' painful and sometimes disturbing experiences. I would also be concerned about my own safety with violent clients, and it would take a major toll on my own mental health to work with aggressive, hostile, or severely disturbed clients. In addition to these, there are ethical and legal considerations, such as the responsibility to report suicidality. Now that I have a better idea of the stressors professional therapists face every day, I know that such a career is not a great fit for my own personality, but I also have renewed respect for good therapists who consistently apply best practices while maintaining their own mental health.
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Kartik’s Answer
Hey Bailey,
I did my masters in clinical psychology but legally you got to spends couple of more years in college to be called clinical psychologist.
Though I have worked in hospital and prison along with clinical psychologist so let me share what I felt.
1) Ethics : it is very hard to keep up with standard of counseling all the time. There are times when client is looking for quick solution while therapy is longitudinal process. You may feel tempted to offer quick solution but that's not how it should be.
2) Legal issue : there are lots of legal issue related to confidentiality , so if client say they are going to murder or suicide. Measure must be taken considering the severity of the situation. If someone suicide /murder anyone during the course of therapy legally you may be brought to court for clarification which may backfire for you.
3) learning: Psychology field is everychanging classification may change time to time.new research may come keeping up with trends takes some discipline.
4) multitasker: sometimes role of clinical psychologist is not limited to counselling and may demand interacting with people , documenting records , therapy ,events , office work which pulls the psychologists everywhere.
5)mental peace : most of psychologist keep there life separate but sometimes when client feel crisis at middle of the night and call the counselor . It may raise a moral dilemma if whether if counselor should pic a call or not. Such therapy on the move is more problematic for psychologist than for other.
I did my masters in clinical psychology but legally you got to spends couple of more years in college to be called clinical psychologist.
Though I have worked in hospital and prison along with clinical psychologist so let me share what I felt.
1) Ethics : it is very hard to keep up with standard of counseling all the time. There are times when client is looking for quick solution while therapy is longitudinal process. You may feel tempted to offer quick solution but that's not how it should be.
2) Legal issue : there are lots of legal issue related to confidentiality , so if client say they are going to murder or suicide. Measure must be taken considering the severity of the situation. If someone suicide /murder anyone during the course of therapy legally you may be brought to court for clarification which may backfire for you.
3) learning: Psychology field is everychanging classification may change time to time.new research may come keeping up with trends takes some discipline.
4) multitasker: sometimes role of clinical psychologist is not limited to counselling and may demand interacting with people , documenting records , therapy ,events , office work which pulls the psychologists everywhere.
5)mental peace : most of psychologist keep there life separate but sometimes when client feel crisis at middle of the night and call the counselor . It may raise a moral dilemma if whether if counselor should pic a call or not. Such therapy on the move is more problematic for psychologist than for other.